Gas burner



H. E. KERR GAS BURNER Oct. 31, 1933.

Filed July 20, 1932 FICLZ E KERR Gian/wan;

Patented Oct. 31, 1933 UNITED STATES 1,ss2,7ss GAS BURNER Harry E. Kerr, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to The Barber Gas Burner Company, Cleveland,

Ohio

Application July 20, 1932. Serial No. 623,468

' 401mm. (01. 158-113) Y My invention relates to an improvement in gas burners, and my general object is to provide a burner in which a plurality of symmetrically arranged commingling tubes or jets mounted on the burner body or manifold are adapted to contact directly with and jet a mixed stream of air and gas at high velocity against a baflle memben'whereby a supplemental mixing effect is obtained and an even distribution of flame against that part of the baille member above the mouth of the jet is maintained.

A further object of the invention is to utilize the tubes orjets as a support or mounting for the bafile member thus providing a convenient l5 mode of assembly and disassembly, and also permitting direct contact between the upper ends of the jets and the curved outer wall or the baflie.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a top view of a jet burner embodying a series of jets supporting a baflle member for baffling and even distribution of the mixed streams of air and gas of the jets; and

Figure 2 is a sectional View on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

The hollow preferably cast metal burner A of any desiredconfiguration, comprises top and bottom horizontal walls 1 and 2 and connecting upright wall 3 respectively. A threaded opening 4, communicating with a depending chambered or conduit portion 5 formed radially of the burner on the bottom thereof and extending from wall 3 to the center of the burner, is adaptedto receive the threaded end of a fuel supply pipe, not shown. The top wall 1 of the body A is provided with a series of protuberances or raised portions 6 at uniformly spaced radial places, in the present embodiment six in number. These protuberances are formed with threaded openings 7 communicating with gas chamber 8 coextensive with the interior of hollow bodyA, and threadedly mounted in these openings are a plurality of'commingling tubes or jets 9.

The jets 9 three or more in number, and preferably made of brass are vertically and sym metrically arranged upon the top of the burner manifold. Each jet 9 is formed with a screw of the screw threaded openings 7 formed centrally within each fiat horizontal protuberance 6, and a flattened enlargement 11 permits a "wrench to be used in attaching and removing the jet.- A small gas orifice 12 is bored centrally within a cross wall in the lower.,.end of the jet threaded base to permit it to be screwed into one and a larger bore 15 extends outwardly therefrom to the upper end or mouth of the jet. One or more lateral air intake openings14 are made in the side of the jet in substantially the same plane as the bottom of bore 15 and the outlet end of gas orifice 12, so that the fine stream of gas issuing through orifice 12 will entrain the desired amount of air through openings 14 and bore 15 and effect a partial mix with a part of the gas stream to produce partial combustion opposite the mouth of the tube;

The pressure is usually such that the main stream of gas from each jet is projected with considerable force through bore 15 into the open beyond the mouth of the jet, and although air is entrained with the gas the mixture is not sufllciently complete to efiect combustion and constant burning thereof at the rapid rate of speed at which it issues. However upon reducing the pressure by valve or otherwise a smallflame can be maintained at the mouth of the-tube without backfire. But upon increasing the pressure andjetting the gas in increased volume through the tube the. flame will be blown out unless a back pressure is established at some distance from the mouth of the tube. A more intimate mixture with the air is also required to produce a blue flame and perfect combustion.- I secure the desired results-by the use of a baflle member 16 which I frictionally and resiliently mount within the confinesof the jets.

Baflle 16 is substantially dish-shaped, has an open contracted bottom 17 and wide flaring mouth 18, and is constructed of a non-hardening steel alloy of low thermo conductivity having high resistance to general corrosion and oxidation athigh temperatures. The annular wall 10 of the bafile member 16 is formed with limiting the downward movement of the baffle. This shoulder also serves as a supporting seat,

and being very narrow, in fact of less width than the thickness of the walls of the jets 9, does not overlap the inner diameter of the jets and there- "fore offers no obstruction to the free flow of a wide flaring beaded mouth 21. The radius or curve of this upper flaring portion of the baiiie member is such that when the gaseous mixture is ignited the resulting fiame will hug closely to and be evenly distributed over that part of the baflie above the mouth of the jets. This wall curvature also causes the flame to curl upwardly and around the beaded top edge 22 thus providing an even, round equalized distribution of flame upwardly and inwardly with respect to the said beaded edge. A very narrow annular flange 23 extending inwardly from the lower edge of the vertical ring-like portion 19 slightly stiffens the structure but does not impart sufficient rigidity to interfere with the slight resiliency essential to the proper seating of the baifie. It will be understood that the diameter of the lower end of the baffle is slightly less than the diameter of a circle drawn within the confines of and touching'the jets, and that both the tubes and the walls of the baffle member will give slightly when the baffle is forced to tight frictional and resilient seating engagement with the jets. 1

The top wall of burner body A is formed with a centrally disposed threaded opening 23 which a threaded apertured guide nut or cap 24 preferably of Monel metal is screwed. An elongated cylindrical valve plunger 25, preferably of tobin bronze extends freely through the valve guide opening 26 in guide nut or cap 24 in axial alinement with a small gas passage 27 formed in bottom wall 2 of body A. The lower end of the plunger valve 25 has an enlarged rounded head 28 which seats against the recessed wall of the gas passage 27 and effectually closes the same when the plunger valve is in lowered position, and when the valve is in raised position the slightly beveled shoulder 29 of head 28 forms a tight seal with the correspondingly beveled seat 30 formed in the lower end of the wall of valve guide opening 26. As gas passage 27 communicates with the gas supply conduit 5, the supply of gas to the burner will be shut off when the valve is moved to seating position, in a manner hereinafter described. The escape of gas through valve guide opening 26 .will also be eflectually prevented by the double seating action of the valve when the -latter is. in its upper or raised position, and while the main burner is burning.

It is preferable that the sliding fit between the valve 25 and its guide 24 be sufliciently loose to insure free, positive and quick action. Heretofore in the use of valves of this general type it has been deemed necessary to have a very tight fit between these parts, or that a stufflng box be employed to prevent escape of gas. Considerable trouble has been experienced in the use of such valves due to corrosion from condensation or the deposit of gummy residue and othe foreign matter thereon, which may be present in the gas, or from dust and "dirt which caused the valve to stick tight in openposition. However, by. virtue of the use of the metals previously mentioned, which have diflerent coeflicients of expansion and the double seating action of the present valve, a comparatively loose fit may be safely used. A free reciprocatory 1 action of the valve is thus had, which eliminates all danger of foreign matter accumulating on the valve and also insures a much more delicate and responsive valve action.

Inpractice it has been found that the expansion of the Monel metal cap is'sufllciently greater than that of the bronze valve plunger to eliminate all danger of jambing, in fact the tendency under operating conditions is'for the guide opening 26 to slightly increase in size relatively to the diameter of the valve.

Movement of valve 25 is thermostatically controlled through the medium of a horizontally disposed compensating spring extension 31, pref erably of nickel steel, secured at its outer end to a bi-metal bar or member 32, and engaging an annular groove 33 in the upper end of the valve with its bifurcated inner end. The bar 32 is connected to the vertical arm 34 of a bracket 35', which bracket is preferably an integral part of the main burner body A, any suitable fastener such as screw 36 being employed to secure bar 32 in place on the bracket arm. The supporting bracket 35 has a horizontally disposed arm 3'7 which is formed with a round enlargement 38, centrally apertured as at 39 to snugly receive a pilot jet 40, a set screw 41 being employed to prevent accidental dislodgment of the jet and also to permit of vertical adjustment of the latter. The lower end of the pilot jet is connected by any suitable valved piping, not

shown, with the main gas supply, and the upper end of the jet is positioned directly beneath and in line with the bi-metal bar 32.

-During normal operations of the burner, the burner jets 9 and pilot jet 40, will burn simultaneously and continuously, and of course the valve 25 will be normally held in raised position by the upwardly bending expansive action of bar 32, thus permitting free flow of gas to the main burner jets. However should the flow of, gas to the pilot jet be interrupted due to accident or other cause, the pilot light will become extinguished, and the bi-metal bar 32 will cool off and contract, thus forcing the valve 25 downwardly to its lower seated position, this movement of the valve being facilitated by its vertical arrangement and its loose guiding fit in cap 24.

The flow of gas from the main supply will thenthus permitting free flow of gas through the main burner, the jets of which instantaneously thereafter become lighted by the flame from the pilot jet.

As previously stated, when the valve is in its uppermost position the shoulder 29 of the latter cooperates with seat 30 to effect a seal against the escape of gas from the burner, and as the intermediate position is but momentary little or no gas can escape through the opening 26 of nut 24. The tense positive action of bar 25 holds the valve tightly to its seats.

Experience has proven that where the pilot flame comes in direct contact with the thermostatic or bi-metal bar 32, the latter is subject to the deteriorating effect of impurities in the gas, and that the thermostatic action of the bar is also adversely effected by the intense heat to which it is thus subjected. In order to transmit the heat from the pilot flame uniformly tothe bi-metal bar, and also to protect the latter from the direct effect of the flame, I provide a metallic deflector or shield 41, which deflects the flame laterally and thence upwardly and around but out of contact with the bar. This deflector has a fiat outer end portion 43, which is secured to the arm 34 of the bracket 35 directly beneath the bar 32 by means of the screw 36 which screw also serves to attach the bar 32 in place.

In order to more effectually direct the flame from pilot jet 40 upwardlytoward the tips of burner jets or tubes 9, and also to protect the body of the burner from heat radiating from the pilot, I provide a guide plate 38 of suitable material such as sheet metal. This plate comprises an apertured ear portion 39 which sleeves over the jet 40 and seats upon the bracket 35, and an upwardly inwardly bent flaring body portion 40 which extends between the pilot jet and the two nearmost burner jets 9 symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of the bracket 35 supporting the pilot jet. Flame from the pilot jet will thus be guided upwardly along the inclined flaring surface of the body 40 of the guide plate to the burner jets, and at the same time the heat radiating from the jet will be thrown back or away from the body of the burner.

Having thus described my invention,

What Iclaim is: V

1. A gas burner comprising a hollow gas distributing body, a series of short tubes extending upwardly from said body in equally spaced relation with respect to the center thereof, and a dish-shaped circumferential baffle member of thin metal having low thermoconductivity and open at its bottom, said bafile member being yieldingly clamped between and supported by said tubes.

2. A gas burner comprising a hollow gas distributing body, a series of short, cylindrically shaped commingling tubes extending upwardly from said body in equally spaced relation with respect to the center thereof, and a dish-shaped circumferential baflle member of thin metal and low thermoconductivity open at its bottom having an inwardly offset straight cylindrical portion adjacent to its open'bottom for clamping and supporting engagement with said commingling tubes, the offset of said portion being less than the thickness of the walls of the tubes to insure free flow of the gas issuing from said tubes.

3. A gas burner comprising a hollow gas distributing body, a series of short cylindrically shaped commingling tubes threadedly connected with and extending upwardly from said body in equally spaced relation with respect to each other and the center of said body, and a dishshaped bafile member of thin metal having low thermoconductivity and curved cone-shaped configuration having at its lower end an inwardly offset cylindrical extension forming a shoulder portion with the curved cone-shaped wall of the baflle member for supporting and yielding clamping engagement with said commingling tubes, the offset of said portion being dimensioned to insure unobstructed flow of the HARRY E. KERR. 

